San Diego Pride

09/03/2026

Dear community,

We just wrapped up a celebration for our amazing community of Pride Volunteers, whose combined efforts allow us to keep doing the work to foster pride, equality and respect for the LGBTQIA+ community. Our volunteers DEFINE Pride with their compassion, dedication, and commitment to the roles they hold. Thank you to our volunteers for everything you do during Pride Week and year round with San Diego Pride.

Volunteer Anniversaries

Speaking of dedication, we’d like to call out these wonderful volunteers who are celebrating a milestone anniversary this year!

5 Years of Volunteer Service

Alejandro Gonzalez
Alex Le
Amanda Fazekas
Amanda Marples
Amy Surbatovich
Aries Tjhin
Ashley Szalwinski
Asia Amic
Athena Payan
Avery Giardino
Ben Kennedy
Bill Harvey
Denisse Lopez
Eden Tropp
Elaine Lewis
Faith Orcino
Finn Cooley
Gabe Wu
Hong Ho
Ivan Martin Del Campo
Jared Renard
Jeanne Hall
Jennifer Oyarzo
Jeremy Browne
Jesse Hogan
Jo Davis
Karmen Wiley
Loraine Tejano
Matthew Vasquez
Meredith D'Angelo
Michael Coleman
Morgan Chamberlin
Natalie Zhang
Nik Zamora
Rachel Bevis
Rafael Leon
Raynier Ramos
Shay Gonzalez
Silvia Samano
Terry Williamson
Tina Bojorquez
Trong Nguyen

10 Years of Volunteer Service

Alicia Arroyo
Calvin Ward
Carlo Toribio
Dana Pysz
Elida Calles
Evelyn Jordan
Faeren Adams
Heather Morey
Jenna Marsh
Lisa Taylor
Loraine Tejano
Lupi Grinage
Maritza Molina
Nnenia-Marie Harmon
Paul Hutchinson
Ray Moore
Rebekah Morey
Sean Krevenas
Sheryl Smith
Stephanie Cadiero
Thomas Urbanski

Thank you all for your continued support. You are pillars of this community, and your legacy allows us to continue growing Pride through future generations.

2026 Volunteer Award Honorees

Volunteer of the Year

Our Volunteer of the Year Award honors volunteers that have gone above and beyond. They embody the spirit of Pride and make a positive impact wherever they are involved.

Leah Osterman
Jaci Andrus
Jessie Combs
Julia Yang
Juni Accardi
Scott Lawry
Jerri Dilno Volunteer Legacy Award

Cheryl-Anne Phillips is a pillar within the San Diego community. A volunteer since 2015, she currently acts as the Operations and Logistics lead for the Parade, a role she’s held for the last five years. Cheryl-Anne believes in paying it forward, which she most definitely has in her years of service with San Diego Pride.

Community Partner of the Year

This award goes to a Community Partner organization who does impactful work in collaborating with San Diego Pride, providing valuable resources to the San Diego LGBTQIA+ community. Black Dagger Community Collective was chosen for their work in uplifting the trans community by providing free affirming haircuts and styling. They have been a cherished community partner within the trans pride village, helping every trans person feel their best and most free and authentic self with the help of their free haircut services.

Thank you to ALL our volunteers for your effort, talent, passion, and love for this community. Whether it was your first year or twentieth, San Diego Pride would not be what it is without all of you.

San Diego Pride Team

09/03/2026

Throw back to The Spirit of Stonewall Rally this past July.

The Spirit of Stonewall is more than a moment, it’s a movement.

As we head into a consequential election season, we’re looking back on the incredible speakers and honorees at this year's rally who reminded us what LGBTQ+ leadership, activism, and community look like.

A huge thank you to our keynote speaker, Hailie Sahar, for joining us and for continuing to blaze trails as an award-winning trans actor, producer, director, singer, and writer.

And to all of our speakers and honorees: thank you for showing up, speaking out, and doing the work. Whether through advocacy, art, organizing, or simply making space for our community, your leadership matters.

Stonewall started with people standing up and speaking out. That spirit is still with us today and we’re taking it with us to the ballot box.

09/02/2026

Our hearts are with the Tucson LGBTQ+ community as they mourn the lives of Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara, who were killed outside Venture-N, a longtime LGBTQ+ gathering space, in a shooting being investigated as a possible hate crime.
For generations, LGBTQ+ bars, clubs, businesses, and community spaces have been so much more than places to gather. When the world outside has been hostile or dangerous, these spaces have offered sanctuary. They are where we find one another, build chosen family, organize for change, celebrate who we are, and experience the freedom of belonging.
The possibility that members of our community were once again targeted in one of those spaces is particularly painful. We deserve to gather, celebrate, work, and live openly without fear of violence because of who we are or where we find community.
At San Diego Pride, we know that creating spaces of safety, connection, visibility, and joy is essential to building a stronger LGBTQ+ community. It is why we gather. It is why we organize. And it is why we will continue working alongside our community year-round to build a world where LGBTQ+ people can live freely, in authenticity and courage.
We send our love and solidarity to Vincent and Cameron’s loved ones, the Tucson LGBTQ+ community, and everyone whose sense of safety has been shaken by this tragedy.
May we continue to protect our spaces, care for one another, and refuse to allow hate to diminish our joy, our visibility, or our pride.
Mental health resources from our friends at the LGBT Center >>>
If you would like to speak with a counselor, please reach out to The Center’s Behavioral Health Services team at [email protected]. If you or someone you know has experienced a hate crime, please contact The Center’s Crisis Services Team at [email protected].

09/02/2026

Did you stop by our new Merch Storefront at the festival? We are loving this year's line from our amazing sponsors Bella + Canvas & Windmill City. Stay tuned for exciting merch updates to get your hands on the 2026 merch line.
city

08/27/2026

Dear community,
Our community continues to face relentless attacks from right-wing politicians using transgender people as political scapegoats. In 2026 alone, 528 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country. At the federal level, the current administration has taken countless actions targeting LGBTQ+ people and the protections our community has fought for, from gender-affirming care to employment discrimination protections.
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when our rights and freedoms are constantly under attack. But even in the face of these challenges, we are not powerless. There is strength in our community coming together and taking action.
The q***r joy we celebrate during Pride Week is deeply important. But Pride has always been rooted in civic engagement, collective action, and the belief that our voices have the power to create meaningful change, challenge injustice, and combat hate. Generations of LGBTQ+ people fought for the rights and visibility we have today. We cannot take that progress for granted. The fight continues, and we will not back down.
A lot is at stake in the 2026 midterm election. It is more important than ever to get informed, get involved, and make a plan to vote. Efforts to make voting harder are a reminder of just how powerful your voice, and your vote, can be.
On September 15, nonpartisan organizations across the country will celebrate National Voter Registration Day. In 2025, more than 300,000 voters registered on this day. This year, San Diego Pride will be registering LGBTQ+ voters across the region through tabling and canvassing in Hillcrest and other LGBTQ+ communities.
Want to help make sure your neighbors are registered and ready to vote with pride? Join our Civic Action Team to stay up to date on volunteer opportunities and help ensure San Diegans are registered, informed, and prepared to cast their ballots in November.
And stay tuned for our 2026 Voter Guide, coming next month to help you navigate important ballot measures and make your voice heard at the ballot box.

Brock Cavett
Director of Advocacy and Programs

Vote at the to get a special I Voted sticker in November!

08/26/2026

Applications EXTENDED!

Food & non-food vendor applications for San Diego Latine Pride are now open through September 2nd!

As San Diego’s official Q***r Latine Pride event, this is a space to embrace the vibrancy of our community and celebrate the joy, culture, and power of being Q***r + Latine.

Join us for:
Music & performances
Food & vendors
Community resources & connections
Opportunities to celebrate, support, and uplift our community
…and so much more!

Don’t miss your chance to be part of it!

Apply through the link in bio or at:
https://www.eventeny.com/events/latinepride2026-26837

Application Deadline: September 2nd

¡Nos vemos en San Diego Latine Pride!

08/25/2026

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Q***r + Trans Economic Justice Forum

San Diegans are struggling—and our q***r and trans communities are feeling it! But we know what our communities need, and we know there are resources in the city & county budgets.

Join us as we present the results of our social investigation during Pride Week, engage in political education, and take collective action for us.

📅 August 27 | 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 San Diego Educators Association | 10393 San Diego Mission Rd, San Diego, CA 92108

Bring a friend!
visit: bit.ly/economic_justice

08/20/2026

Howdy Pride folks,

This August, we’re celebrating Transgender History Month (THM) throughout California, which became the first state to formally recognize THM in 2023. But this year’s celebration, like the last, comes amid escalating government-sanctioned and social violence against trans people.

Many of us are wary, exhausted, and grieving. Our history is filled with stories of oppression and resilience—but even resilience, while positive and necessary, is still a state of survival. The constant need to insist upon our survival takes a toll. As minority stress continues to impact our mental and physical health, we have to ask ourselves: What does it mean to move beyond survival?

The recipe is in our history.

From the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot to Stonewall, some of the most fundamental moments in our movement came when trans people and our communities refused to accept the conditions imposed upon us. We put boots to the ground and fists in the air. We organized, envisioned, resisted, and created something better.
This THM, I’m asking us to take that history as a recipe—not just for resilience, but for active resistance and liberation.
Invest your time and energy in trans liberation. Engage in TGI events, arts, and culture. Take action with Pride for city and county budgets that address our communities’ needs. Connect with your community, because we are history in the making.
Journal. Record your stories. Ask your elders about theirs. Celebrate the organizing and resistance that brought us here. Our history was written by us. Let’s ensure the next chapters are, too.
Con Orgullo,
With Pride,
Esmé

photo by:

08/17/2026

Happy National Nonprofit Day!
August 17, 2026
What started as a small grassroots march for equal rights has grown into the largest civic event in the region but San Diego Pride is about so much more than Pride Week.
Throughout the year, we support and celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community through education, advocacy, community programs, and service. To date, San Diego Pride has donated more than $2.5 million to LGBTQIA+ serving nonprofits, helping strengthen the organizations and communities doing this work every day.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our work is made possible by the support of our community. From Pride Week to Pride 365, we keep showing up, giving back, and keeping Pride moving forward.
Thank you for being part of it.
To learn more about who we are and what we do visit sdpride.org

08/14/2026

San Diego FC, in community partnership with San Diego Pride, is proud to host Pride Night on Wednesday, October 14, when SDFC takes on the Houston Dynamo!

Celebrate with us by purchasing the limited-edition Pride Night Ticket Package, which includes a match ticket, an exclusive Pride-themed clear f***y pack, and a donation to San Diego Pride.

Season Ticket Members can also purchase an exclusive Pride-themed bucket hat by signing in to Account Manager. Quantities are limited, so be sure to reserve yours while supplies last.

Looking to celebrate with your group? Learn more at

Learn more about San Diego FC's ticket offerings, including premium and general memberships.

08/13/2026

Dear community,

So, what comes after Pride?
The answer is simple: the other 51 weeks.

Pride Week may be our most visible work, but it is only one week of the year. After Pride Week, people often ask if things have finally slowed down. The truth is, they simply shifted. The crowds dispersed, but the mission remained. The work of building community doesn’t pause when the stages come down. In many ways, that’s when some of our most important work begins.


The other 51 weeks are where our movement gains momentum.

In the months ahead, San Diego Pride will celebrate volunteers, honor parade participants, open a new Images of Pride exhibition, partner with the San Diego Museum of Art for Out at the Museum, celebrate Latine Pride, get the community ready to Vote with Pride, launch another Youth Leadership Academy, and begin recruiting the next cohort of the Pride Empowerment Academy, all while planning for Pride Week 2027.

This is what Pride365 looks like.

As your Executive Director, my commitment remains the same as it was on my first day: to stabilize, heal, and sustain this organization so our impact continues to grow for generations to come.

A year-round movement requires year-round support.

That’s why I’m launching Pride Sustainers, a community of 1,000 people committed to giving at least $25 each month. Together, Pride Sustainers will help ensure that San Diego Pride can continue serving our community every week of the year.

If Pride has made a difference in your life, I hope you’ll consider becoming one of them. Visit www.sdpride.org/donate


As I shared with the crowd from the stage on Sunday night of the festival: “The light of Pride doesn’t stay on because someone flips a switch. It stays on because people like you choose to keep it shining.”


Thank you in abundance!


With Pride,

KishaLynn Elliott

08/07/2026

SD Pride Event Accessibility Review Survey

Help us make every SD Pride event even more welcoming and accessible!

If you attended one of our events, we'd love to hear about your accessibility experience. Your feedback helps us improve our accessibility services and create a better experience for our entire community.

The survey takes just 5–10 minutes, and you can skip any questions that aren't required.

Thank you for helping us build a more inclusive Pride for everyone!
visit the link in our bio or copy this link to your web browser:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBJxTqICiPP9p7HV9J_1Hi4V4F9fR_7e8yu4NdsN9k1ZZmkQ/viewform

Learn More at: sdpride.org/accessibility/

08/07/2026

There's still time to be part of Latine Pride!

Applications for Entertainment, Food Vendors, Non-Food Vendors, and Community Resource Partners close August 9. Don't miss your chance to showcase your talent, business, or organization at one of San Diego's most vibrant community celebrations.

We can't wait to celebrate with you this October!

For more information visit:
sdpride.org/latine

Applications: https://www.eventeny.com/events/latinepride2026-26837

Entertainment applications: https://form.asana.com/?k=UIl_miBb2jkP955IcgAOpQ&d=618621497285316&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleATjIQlwZG9mAmZkaWQWUMAOqS23f91wVWDKFqA_F1SArOc2r2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp2Xu6hLjN2nZ4qy8aEzzs6c8qAmC2r_DbhmcXMYItr1SReQ5CDLtdXV8oBnc_aem_vDMKtz38KOuX16Ru6SvYdQ